​Several people have asked me about the progress of our squatting nest of mistle thrushes. The news is suprisingly good. All 5 fledged and flew, despite the prowling of a couple of local cats and the interest of a magpie, all of which were seen off by the parent birds. Above are a few photos we managed to take through the window.

Watching their development stage by stage, I feel a metaphor coming on. Writing a story can begin with a confused bundle of small ideas that gradually grow and become more distinct until (hopefully) it flies. My very first piece of fiction writing began like that, some years ago. I submitted the original for feedback from a professional writers’ organisation, after which, following much editing and resulting re-shaping, it was my first entry for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2010. After yet more work it was at last accepted for publication in 2015, so the whole process took a little longer than the 17 days from hatching to flying by the next generation of mistle thrushes.

Don’t forget to enter to win A MASTER OF LITIGATION in the Goodreads Giveaway which ends on June 4th.